Who is really in charge?

I always wanted a "real" baby doll when I was little.  I was 3 when my little brother was born and he was teeny tiny just like Blakely.  For a 3 year old this was awesome because he was just what I was looking for in the world of baby dolls.  My mom says she had to tell me NOT to pick him up.  She'd turn around and I'd have Micah tucked under my arm and I would say "but he looked like he was about to cry!"  I was just helping.  Now I have my own real life baby doll- that poops, pees (quite often, I might add..) eats, cries, etc., just like I always wanted. 

While I was pregnant I read lots of parenting stuff.  Baby Wise, Baby Whisperer, tons of articles.  My main take away was to teach the baby that as the parent I am in control, not her.  Ha!  Who was I kidding?  And who were they kidding, more importantly.  These books give the illusion (especially in those first few weeks) that you have an ounce of control.  Maybe I'm a weakling, or maybe my baby is especially strong willed, but I have virtually no control.  These books make you think that you can make your baby eat, make your baby go to sleep, make your baby be awake.  Sorry, but my baby does each of those things ONLY when she wants to.  If she wants to sleep, there is nothing in the world that you can do to keep her awake.  If she's not interested in eating, you can shove it down her throat but she's not going to swallow. 

She's thinking "MOM!  Get off me!"

And let them cry?  I don't know who these people are, but what parent with their first baby, and in the first couple of months of their life, can actually just sit down the hall and let their baby cry for more than a few seconds?  I get it if your baby just can't be satisfied and they just cry.  At some point, for your own sanity, you have to walk away.  Like I said, maybe I'm a wimp, but I just can't do that.  Not yet at least. 

So, who's really in charge?  Blakely.  At least for now.